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Quarterly Newsletter of Porsche Club Tasmania
Flat Chat
January, 2021
In this issue…
Presidents Dinner
Xmas Lunch
Early Morning Run Reviews
Fifty Years of Porsche in Tasmania
Extreme Eau Rouge – Spa-Francorchamps
Long-Hauling in a 400 tonne Freighter
Handy Hints for the Workshop
Porsche Taycan Reveal
Contents
Committee……………………………………………..................................................... 3
The Inside Line – (President Kevin Lyons)……….…………………………………... 4
Editorial………………………………………………....................................................... 5
Membership.........................……….......………………………………......................... 6
Events Calendar............................................................................................. 7
Vale Neill Daly............................................................................................. 8
President’s Dinner – (Erica Cabalzar)........................................................... 9
Fifty Years of Porsche in Tasmania – (John Pooley)....................................... 13
Call That a Truck! – (Chris Matters)............................................................... 16
EMR Reports – (North and N/W Group)......................................................... 17
EMR Reports – (Southern Group)................................................................... 21
Extreme Eau Rouge: Spa-Francorchamps – (Leon Joubert)........................... 23
Sale Items………………………………..................................................................... 27
Tools Explained – (Leon Joubert/Paul Tucker).............................................. 28
Christmas Lunch – Frogmore Creek.............................................................. 29
Taycan Reveal – (Farrel White)...................................................................... 31
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
Executive Committee of the Porsche Club of Tasmania
2020 -2021
President Kevin Lyons Tel 0418 125 820 (m)
PCTPresident@outlook.com
Vice-President John Davis Tel 0417 144 490 (m)
hbtdavis@bigpond.net.au
Secretary/Public Officer Leon Joubert Tel (03) 6223 6461 (h) 0409 236 461 (m)
joubertaus@gmail.com
Treasurer Peter Haworth Tel 0418 130 375 (m)
phaworth@bigpond.net.au
Social Bob White Tel (03) 6225 0660 (m) 0407 502 300
pct.events@outlook.com
Motorsport Director John Pooley Tel (03) 6260 2895 (bus) 0418 120 055 (m)
jrdpooley@gmail.com
Membership Joe Hand Tel (03) 6227 8381 (h) 0468 348 968 (m)
pct.membership@internode.on.net
Motor Sport Andrew Forbes Tel 0418 763 787 (m)
andrew.forbes.911@gmail.com
North/Motorsport Kerry Luck Tel 0417 518 660 (m)
lucky2@bigpond.net.au
Committee Colin Denny Tel. (03) 6243 8940 (h) 0418 127 907 (m)
colindenny@netspace.net.au
Committee Todd Kovacic Tel. (03) 6239 1666 (h) 0409 214 005 (m)
tkovacic@netspace.net.au
Committee Chris McGregor Tel. 0407 421 177 (m)
chris@mcgregorfn.com
Postal Address: Porsche Club Tasmania, PO Box 910, Sandy Bay, TAS 7006
Meeting Venues:
Hobart:
At 7.00 pm (Committee) and 8.00 pm (Members) on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Civic Club, 134
Davey Street, Hobart.
Launceston:
At 9.00 am on the 3rd Sunday of every month at the Blue Cafe, Invermay Road, Inveresk.
FLAT CHAT is the quarterly newsletter produced by Porsche Club Tasmania. Contact details
for matters relating to Flat Chat are as follows:
Keith Stove, Editor, 0417 123 010; keith@mastbury.com.au
3
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
President’s Report
PCT Members,
Happy New Year to you all and I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Christmas.
Unfortunately, there were some who could not have family members with them during
this traditional festive period. Our sincere thoughts are with those of you affected by
the COVID restrictions & who could not celebrate with family reunions.
Thankfully, we can now leave 2020 behind us and move into a more normal year ahead.
Our annual Christmas Lunch was held a few weeks back at Frogmore Winery,
Cambridge. Congratulations again go to our Club Award winners. There is an article
included herein covering this special day in the life of the Club.
PCT goes into recess during January, as we respect the traditional summer holiday period for everyone. Our Events
Calendar is included in this issue of Flat Chat & provides dates & base details, as we start to co-ordinate our new year’s
activities. I would particularly like to highlight the visit by Porsche Club Victoria (PCV) just after Easter, culminating in
a combined vehicle display with PCT, at PW1 in Salamanca (COVID restrictions permitting). We are hoping for around
70 cars. Providing we can secure access to Baskerville Racetrack, we also intend to fully subsidise a drive & photoshoot
on the Track for everyone who agrees to display their cars on the day. That night, there is a planned combined Dinner
(PCT / PCV). As previously requested, please register your interest for the various components being the Display,
Baskerville and the Dinner with PCT Events: pct.events@outlook.com
Further information will be provided as arrangements progress.
The major news from Porsche Australia is the end of next month should see the delivery of the first of the new electric
Taycan cars to Australian purchasers. At this stage, I am aware of four coming to Tasmania & clients are eagerly
awaiting their stunning new vehicles.
Taycan World Release – International Porsche Club
Presidents’ Meeting – Portugal December 2019
As we look to better times ahead, please help your Club to help you in 2021, by joining in with our local and major
state events this year.
Kevin
Kevin Lyons
President, Porsche Club Tasmania
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
I feel like a bear just emerging from hibernation. A bit grumpy, older and struggling to
get motivated. Hence the slight delay in this publication. Apologies to all. I think the past
12 months were ably summed up in a text/email sent to me the other day which simply
included a picture of a post-it sticker relating to the “Back To The Future Trilogy”. The note
was from Doc who simply writes “Marty, stay away from 2020!”
We have finally seen the last of what has been a testing year and most Members would
echo the views of the masses when we say…”good riddance”. Although restrictions had
curtailed our movements to a certain extent, when compared to most mainland states we
got off quite lightly, thanks to good governance, self-discipline and a sense of
responsibility adopted by most Tasmanians.
The Club also bounced back from our limited activities through that horrible second quarter of 2020 and we
experienced those new shoots around July onwards with some highly enjoyable indoor and outdoor activities.
The last three months of the year are but a blur now, however, from a Club standpoint there were some wonderful
events as reflected by the articles in this edition of FLAT CHAT.
This edition includes some entertaining articles from our Members. Erica Cabalzar has put together an amusing
account of our President’s Dinner, held in October in Launceston. Club Stalwart John Pooley has offered his guest
speaker’s 50 Years of Porsche in Tasmania speech and Leon Joubert has submitted a Porsche Sports Europe article on
the infamous Eau Rouge corner at Spa Francorchamps. Leon (thanks to Paul Tucker) has also submitted a glossary of
workshop terms.
Our diverse FLAT CHAT covers the Xmas lunch at Frogmore Creek and the usual Early Morning Runs from the Northern
and Southern Groups and a report from Farrel White on the recent Porsche Centre Hobart’s Taycan release. New
Member Chris Matters has offered a highly amusing anecdote on very large freight carriers, with a great “gotya”
moment highlighting the long-held view that Germans who, although make great cars, lack of sense of humour.
FLAT CHAT is also promoting a For Sale section, offered free to members, the proviso being the subject matter has to
be Porsche related.
And so to all Club Members, FLAT CHAT wishes you all a fantastic and enjoyable 2021. Stay healthy, get the jab and
lets all be safe.
Keith Stove
keith@mastbury.com.au
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
Joe Hand - Membership
Club membership has increased slightly, and there are currently 188 members including 15 dependants.
The Club extends a very warm welcome to the following new members.
Christopher and Jacqui Matters GT3 RS (07) Cayenne Turbo (06)
John Barry-Murphy Cayenne (17) Taycan Turbo (21)
Michael & Keri Smith and Steph Wise Boxster 986 S (03)
Nick and Margie Shuley Macan (18)
If you need an Application Form for a new member email me at pct.membership@internode.on.net and I will send
you a pdf copy, or you can download one from the Club’s website. Please do not convert it back to word as they tend
to get a bit scrambled, and often run onto a second page.
Joe Hand, Membership
FLAT CHAT endeavours to identify new members, so we can all greet them at our gatherings. Apologies to Nick and
Margie Shuley as Flat Chat doesn’t have an image introducing you both. Hopefully we will have one for the next edition.
Chris and Jacqui Matters John Barry-Murphy. Eagerly awaiting the
arrival of his Taycan- Due February
Philip and Janice
Molinieux. Joined
mid-year
Keri Smith and Steph Wise
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
The following events have been confirmed.
JANUARY, 2021
Derwent River Cruise, Sunday, 31st January
Bruce and Monica Finlay have again generously offer to take us for a Derwent River cruise which will be catered for
by Bruce and Monica at a nominal cost to be around $30 per person. The magnificent “Pilbara” is limited to 26 pax
and unfortunately this event has now been fully booked. Welcome aboard.
FEBRUARY, 2021
Davis’ BBQ @ Orford, Sunday, 21st February
John & Sue Davis have again kindly offered their shack at Orford for the annual BBQ. This annual event is a beauty,
the February weather at Orford is always perfect and the day is well attended. Please note there is a maximum
number of 50 guests, so members are advised to register their intentions with Bob White asap. Bob can be
contacted by club email at pct.events@outlook.com
This is always a great day and casual catch up with members.
MARCH, 2021
Baskerville Drive Day, Saturday, 13th March
These track events have had high attendance and we look forward to see what the Motorsport Committee has in
store.
APRIL, 2021
PCT/PCV Car Display at Princes Wharf 1 and Dinner at Salamanca Inn, Saturday, 17th April
A combined PCT/PCV display at PW1 in a similar format to the Porsche 70th Anniversary as well as dinner at the
Salamanca Inn.
PCV has 40 Porsches touring Tasmania, hopefully we can muster 30 to fill the PW1 forecourt.
JUNE, 2021
New lo o k Bi -An nu al C i rcumna vig a ti on o f T a sma ni a Th u rsd a y , 1 0 t h Ju n e – T u esd a y , 1 5 t h Ju n e
Bob White and Colin Denny have put together a great route with excellent overnight locations. This year’s event
offers a slight deviation from previous formats, with a proposed extended stopover in Stanley, affording travellers an
opportunity to explore the magnificent North-West coastal region.
After discussion at the recent Committee meeting, the tour will be staying at White Sands Resort on the first
evening. A preliminary route plan has been distributed to members by email and further confirmation and
finalisation will follow shortly.
This is always a great event, and members who are not available for the full event can catch up at any stage of the
event that suits them.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
Vale Neill Daly
It is with great sadness that I advise Neill passed away in December 2020 after a short
illness, aged in his mid forties.
Neill was a Northern Member of the PCT back in the early days of the Club and left
the state in 2015 to further pursue his Architectural career at the Australian National
University in Canberra .
He was a four time recipient of the Northern Clubman of the Year Trophy and his
contribution was well noted.
Neill was both a personal friend and colleague and desired a 928 as being close to 2
metres tall believed he would not fit in a 911 until I enticed him into my car, he then
became a proud owner of a 1985 Carrera 3.2 which he cherished and regular took to
Hobart when the Club held Annual Show and Shine Concours events, of which he
always won his class.
We offer sincere condolences to his partner Sonya and family.
Kindly submitted by Bruce Allison on behalf of Porsche Club Tasmania
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
PRESIDENT’S DINNER
Peppers Silo Hotel, Launceston, October 3rd, 2020
Erica Cabalzar
Real Porsches are from the Porcheaux region of France. Otherwise they’re just sparkling
Volkswagons. I needed something French in the introduction so I could mention the maitre d’
anecdote later. This dialogue has evolved organically after staring at that infamous ‘blank
page.’ The result? Random observations and dialogue about the Porsche Club Tasmania’s
President’s Dinner, and rather than regurgitating a boring sequence of events, I have
embellished it slightly to spice up the narrative in pursuit of drama. (I had Kevin’s permission)
The only thing missing on the night was the red carpet, Porsches in glass garages, the
paparazzi and roving actors. But as you will see, our PCT stories may have more reality in them
than Hollywood. We have our own Glitterati.
Porsche Club Tasmania’s President’s Dinner…what a timely topic! The race has been won; not Targa Tasmania or
Macans around Tassie, or Kerry Luck and Simon Froude down the Sideling, but the Presidential race to the White(r)
House. And Don the Con lost. But neither narcissistic Trump or befuddled Biden are suitable candidates for president
of our club.
As Porsche enthusiasts, we drive from a place in the
heart and soul. This binds the club together, along
with laughter, friendship and a sense of belonging.
Our president, Kevin Lyons, recognises that the PCT
culture is nurtured and shaped by the ability of its
members to be acknowledged, heard and celebrated.
At the President’s Dinner, with his usual savoir faire
and generosity of spirit, Kevin thanked some key
people who have contributed to the life of the club.
He also answered the question - Why is it called the
President’s Dinner? The concept was introduced many
years ago as a forum for a more formal get-together
and the club’s committee decided to continue the
tradition. What a terrific idea. Rituals and traditions
are what bring the tribe together.
In his speech, Kevin commented on how severely restricted our club activities were this year, for obvious reasons, and
the dinner was a fantastic opportunity for us to start mingling again, introduce new people and pay tribute to some
members who were in attendance. He acknowledged Keith Stove, the Flat Chat editor of our quarterly newsletter,
Farrel White for “all things Porsche” and Vice President,
Dr. John Davis who has been a long standing member
for 16 years. Kevin thanked Colin Denny who in
conjunction with Joe Hand, was instrumental in the
compilation of our new constitution, which was
adopted at our August AGM. Both Peter Haworth and
Kerry Luck were recognised for assisting the club with
all northern activities; in particular the EMRs. Peter has
taken up the position of Club Treasurer this year, and
Kerry has a key role within our Motorsport Committee.
Phil Parsons was warmly welcomed as an active
member from the north west, while Bob and Dimity
White, our southern and state-wide Social Event
directors were applauded for their contributions to the
club over the years. They continue to organise some
excellent social gatherings. It was great to meet new members Phillip and Janice Molineux, and Kevin welcomed them
to the club. Two other new members in attendance were Grahame and Anne Vaughan who we first met at the Orford
BBQ, before the pandemic.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
The President’s Dinner was held outside Hobart for the first time and it gave members from other regions the
opportunity to attend. (We had close to 40 people).
Peppers Silo Hotel in Launceston was the chosen venue;
four landmark grain silos converted into spectacular
contemporary accommodation. The soiree began with
aperitifs in the bar area where the primary modus
operandi was to escape from the ennui of Covid and The
Budget, and warmly greet other members, and share
stories and laughter. Dinner was served in their in-house
restaurant called Grain (of the Silos). The friendly banter
and repartee continued throughout the night. “ Porsche
wanted to name their new car the Model E but it was
already Taycan.” “The coolest thing about my new
Porsche is that it lets me know when the rear wing is Table of Kevins!
raised. Spoiler alert.”
There were some amusing narratives about rain-proof cars. It was brought to our attention that ex-treasurer Chris
McGregor and his wife Julie drove their Ford Territory (with Porsche 997 number plates) up from Hobart, not the
recently purchased red Porsche GT3, (does this car even exist, did I hear someone ask?). Further questioning revealed
the reason for the vehicle substitution…forecasted cloudburst, the prediction of precipitation, the chance of rain…
which made Chris err on the side of caution in case the new car got wet. Also eliciting a few laughs was the story of
Colin and Annette Denny’s nouveau 911 emitting unusual ‘beep beep’ sounds while driving through St. Peters Pass in
the heavy rain. Sacre bleu! What was that noise? Annette explained that the car had the latest Wet Mode installed,
with sensors in the wheel well that notifies the driver that wet conditions have been detected. Who said? “Colin, the
car told you that the woad was wheely
wet.” (I could add a few more Monty
Python-ish words here.) Wet mode is a
clever addition by Porsche, allowing you to
use the mode selector dial to activate a new
set of parameters in inclement weather.
Smoother, more predictable with increased
driving stability, it even adjusts the
aerodynamics of the car. Ok, I googled that.
In Doug Chang’s words (Star Wars designer
and Porsche enthusiast): “Good design
doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The starting point
is always research in the real world…even
the smallest detail can be interesting.” And
Wet Mode is certainly an interesting and
most welcome detail to have on your new
Porsche, Colin!
On a more sombre note, the weekend of the President’s Dinner saw a number of fatalities on Tasmania’s wet roads,
causing long delays and a detour through a cherry farm for one party who travelled up on the Friday. It is with gratitude
that everyone arrived safely at their destination and it is a
sobering reminder to drive to conditions.
Those driving up from Hobart the day before included Bob
and Dimity White, Kevin and Mary Lyons and Colin and
Annette Denny. A meal was enjoyed at Stillwater and a walk
up the Gorge got the muscles (and blisters) going. It’s always
interesting to hear about Bob’s black 1985 930 Turbo (I hope
I’ve got that right). According to Annette, and without
meaning to sound uncouth, there are a few stories to be told
about ‘The Black Bitch’. Rumour has it that it once belonged
to Shane Warne; I wonder if Liz Hurley sat in it? And
apparently it was banned in the US for being too
dangerous… the BB, not the affair between Shane and Liz.
10
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Speaking of affairs of the heart, did you know that Bob and Dimity met at school before reuniting many years later? I
love a Romeo and Juliet story.
Kevin and Mary Lyons also went to school together. It was destiny that they found each other, Mary with a farming
background, able to reverse a trailer and drive a ute ‘very fast’ and Kevin in the CBA refusing to finance cars, boats and
planes. Did you know it was Mary who taught their children to drive? However, I highly recommend “hiring” Kevin for
driving lessons cos he’s the “salt” of the earth.
A photo of Kevin and Mary’s Porsche 911 GT3 finished
in Crayon was posted on Tassie Car Spotters Instagram
page and the interesting colour often solicits comments
and discussion from fellow Porsche enthusiasts. At the
dinner, Annette Denny commented on the Crayon 911
resembling a chameleon on their trip to the West Coast.
It always seemed to change colour depending on its
surroundings. Quite remarkable.
Talk about changing… Colin Denny, looking dapper in
his dinner jacket was spotted leaving the restaurant to
change his snazzy boat shoes for a more comfortable
pair. After a few bunion jokes were thrown around,
Diane Haworth made a witty remark about men
wearing high heels. And still on the subject of shoes, Mary’s black patent sling-backs were a hit on the red carpet.
New club member Janice Molineux also shone on the night; dripping in diamonds, she was a cross between Marilyn
Monroe and Scarlett Johansson. For those who don’t know, Janice is a thespian, and has secured her first serious lead
role. The President’s Dinner could be the launching of her career. (You heard it first in Flat Chat). It was Gerry Frith,
the stylish Audrey Hepburn look-a-like, who spotted the high end clothing worn by Janice, perhaps Louis Vuitton? By
the way, Colin Denny was the previous owner of the Molineux’s white Boxster with black soft top. Janice loves driving
the car as it has “seat bottom warmers”. A few jokes came out of this conversation as you can well imagine.
Other club members who resembled movie stars at the dinner were notably Matthew and Tammy Bowen, the owners
of a gorgeous classic dark blue 928. Definitely George Clooney and Helen Hunt. They would be perfect in a movie titled
“Crims to the Cleaners: a tale of Money Laundering”. Matthew had a wonderful story about meeting Sting on the east
coast. Meanwhile the boys were comparing Tammy’s one horse, with their 500 (HP).
Horsepower was a popular word on the night. As was torque,
performance, power trains, flat six, next generation, hill climbs,
Targa, Symmons…There was reference to overtaking a slow
driver: “the internal curse battery recharges quicker than a
Duracell bunny”. We have some excellent drivers in Porsche
Club Tasmania. The crème de la crème. Attending the dinner
were Kerry Luck, Phil Frith, Farrel White and Graeme Pitt. Kerry
is a leader in the club for motorsport events, he was in Targa
Tasmania, raced at Baskerville, and did you know he competed
in the first number 1 HQ Holden Race in the world? There’s
pedigree here. Phil Frith, looking dashing in his plaid jacket,
modestly recalled his driving career, five times Targa podium
champion with his son David. Rumour has it, Adele, that while Phil’s Porsche was being serviced he had a little look
around the showroom. I asked Gerry if she knew what had taken his fancy. She laughingly said that years ago he bought
a whopping big catamaran without telling her, so she didn’t suppose he’d tell her about a new Porsche. All in good
fun.
There was some discussion about who was at home holding the baby. Mandy White, dressed to impress in a beautiful
floral number jokingly said she probably was! Farrel is a highly skilled driver and has been involved in motorsport in a
variety of ways; he competed in Targa Tasmania in a Police Entry Holden. Farrel (from Performance Automobiles) is
‘the face of Porsche” from my perspective, and I’d like to acknowledge what he does, not only for me in relation to my
Macan (Romeo) and my silver Turbo (Juliet), but also for the Porsche Girls Club.
11
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Graeme Pitt’s motorsport talent obviously rubbed off on his ‘baby.’ Honi Pitt has a Porsche 914-6 and a Lotus Exige S.
(see Flat Chat Oct. 2018) I’m not sure if you are aware, but last year she won the state championship in GTB circuit
racing. She is the second female to ever win in this competition. I am woman, hear me roar (R.I.P. Helen Reddy). Behind
every successful person there is an equally successful spouse/parent, and this applies to Sherryl Pitt. Her mantra could
be: “Whatever it is you decide to do in life, you must love it completely and full heartedly. Our time on earth is too
precious to be doing anything but what we’re passionate about.” And speaking of passion! There was no way Sherryl
was giving up Kevin’s coveted golden President’s Face Mask that was
on her table. Anne Vaughan was keeping a close eye on Sherryl who
was holding onto it like she’d won an Oscar. Kevin even tried bribing
her with a glass of champagne and a personalised autograph but to
no avail. Note: the cut-out faces of Kevin were in response to (a.) it’s
the President’s Dinner so “All Hail Kevin!” (b.) the pandemic…Covid
face masks (c.) a fan for facial flushing due to ALDH2 deficiency. The
wine was excellent but then so was the French maitre d’… where’s
that fan Erica? Voila! There is the reference to the maitre d’. And it’s
Diane Haworth’s job to remind me of my ‘boundaries’.
There were no boundaries at the dinner table. Feedback about the
shared menu was positive and we all agreed that the first and second courses, sides and desserts were not only
delicious but extremely generous. We were tempted with crispy fried calamari, oyster mushrooms, grilled wallaby
skewers, gnocchi, radiochio (“I don’t usually eat anything I can’t spell.” Who said that?), lemon pink ling, roasted pork
belly, glazed baby carrots, fresh vegetables and gourmet salads, tiramisu and lemon curd raspberry and marshmallow
shortcake. What weighs the equivalent of ten elephants? (Me, after that dinner!) Actually, the answer is…the paint on
the Eiffel Tower. (There’s that French reference again.)
There were no beret wearing, baguette holding boys at the dinner, but Grahame Vaughan was tres chic in his black
long-line jacket and bow tie, while his wife Anne looked very pretty in pink. Milton Moody and Ann Lowe had a certain
je ne sais quoi on the night and the votes are in…it’s equal first for the most stylish coiffure; Annette Denny and Julie
McGregor (did you know Julie has retired and she’s going to take up line dancing?); Paul Jubb’s wife Karen stunned in
orange; Judy Stove was perfectly poised in peacock print; Mary and Dimity rocked the LBD and Gill Arnold looked like
she’d stepped off the Parisian sidewalk to join Mick in their Porsche Cayman with the 00 number plates. Cam and Liz
Morrisby, were as elegant and personable as their red GTS 2015, while Sue Davis matched the effortless style of her
and John’s 911.
The President’s Dinner wasn’t about haute couture and Hollywood, it was all about Porsches and people. It was a night
of good food and wine, fun, friendship and…equality. May there be many more of them. Now where is that French
waiter? I have to return his pen.
12
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021John Pooley
The following speech was given by our past President, John Pooley at a recent Porsche dinner celebrating 50 years in
Tasmania. This private dinner was held at Me Wah Restaurant in Sandy Bay on 14 th November 2020. John has very
kindly provided a copy of his speech for publication in FLAT CHAT.
I have much pleasure and gratitude to be invited to share with you my life with Porsche in five minutes. Ladies and
gentlemen…………. I will do my best!
As a small boy in 1950, my father Denis, gave me a pocket book called, Automobiles of the World .
Within a short time I could recognise almost every car on the roads of Britain and got to know what cars from other
countries looked like in my pocket book. It wasn’t until we migrated to Tasmania in 1953, I was 10 then, that a few
years later I recognised my first sighting of a cream-coloured Porsche 356 coupe on the Huon Road at Fern Tree, where
we lived. Little did I know that in Ten years that same car was to be entrusted to me to care for it by its owner, Bob
Young of Dover.
My father and I started Performance Automobiles in October 1964 and on the completion of my Motor Mechanic
apprenticeship, in 1965, I was put in charge of the servicing of all makes and models at our newly rented Shell service
station in Davey Street , Hobart.
My Passion was Volkswagen, as during my apprenticeship, at the Hydro Electric Motor workshops, no one else wanted
to work on them and I was fascinated by the Dr. Porsche story of Volkswagen and Porsche cars.
At this time I had built a sports racing car out of a wrecked Beetle as my Dad was working for the then VW dealer,
before he left to start our own business, He came by a modified VW engine that had many Porsche components in it
and had 90hp. So we bought it and that powered the racing car, which we called the Pooley Mark 2. It was quite
successful and attracted a lot of attention and this drew lots of customers to our new business.
As a result of this success, in 1969, we were approached by Volkswagen Australia to take on a full dealership in
Southern Tasmania, which we did. That required more space for a workshop, so we bought the property next to the
Service station and built our first showroom in Davey Street.
Sales took off and many of the popular VWs on the roads of Hobart came to our business for service and repairs.
A year later, Denis approached Norman Hamilton , Australia’s importer of Porsche, having met him at Longford when
we were racing the Pooley Mark 2, and offered to represent Porsche for Tasmania, which was accepted in 1970.
Our first Demo Porsche was a 911 T, it had the new 2.2 litre 6 cylinder boxer engine , had a 5 speed manual gear box,
4 speed was standard, a left hand mirror, radio, and mats, all extras! It was Kermit Green and had the exorbitant price
of $13,000 dollars. Our most expensive new VW was $899. “How on earth are we going to sell a car over $10,000
dollars” I remember saying!
Sales were very slow at 2 or 3 a year in the 1970s but it was a quality built and engineered sports car, and we loved
them. That year Porsche won Le Mans 24 hour endurance race for the first time ever.
The Porsche brand’s respect and racing success after success was starting to produce sales.
We bought a 911S , Racing Car in 1974, which was second in the Australian Touring car Championship in 1969, driven
by Jim McKeon.
We restored and raced it here in Tasmania for 4 years with some success and that brought more sales to the brand
here in Tasmania, building the reputation and respect of Performance Automobiles and Porsche.
In 1985 the Australian Dollar was floated by Paul Keating, the then treasurer. This led to Porsche buyers making money
on their traded cars and sales shot up to one a month. As a result they became very hard to get and offers over retail
were common from customers to secure a car. Most 911s were factory specific orders built to the excited customers
personal choices.
As Dealer Principal, I was known as MR 100% with reference to Porsche’s Market share of the Luxury Sports Car market
in Tasmania. I was very proud of this especially when with the other Australian Porsche dealers, who had lower market
shares.
13
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021My first visit to the Factory in Stuttgart was in 1974 when I attended for technical training for 2 weeks on the new 924,
930 Turbo and the 916, which incidentally never came to Australia.
I remember on my arrival at the factory there were 20 brand new 924s lined up in the car park at Zuffenhausen and
with very little introduction to the car, we, that is the other senior technicians attending from, Britain, New Zealand,
Hong Kong and Canada, were to “choose a car and follow that yellow 911 S”. In minutes we were on the Auto-bahn
travelling at over 200 kph, on the righthand side of the road and driving from the left seat of a brand new Porsche. I
was terrified, but within a few minutes settled in and accepted the challenge and revelled in the experience.
Many more visits followed over the years to Europe, UK, USA, South Africa, Spain, Corsica, Italy, and in my 40 plus
years as Dealer for Porsche saw over 110 new models released, including all 911s from the original 911 T, 930 Turbo,
959, 993,997 and the water cooled, 924, 944, 968, 928 in all their variants.
After the 1987 stock market crash the world slid into a recession. Most of us remember the “recession we had to have”
and sales of luxury and high-end sports cars stopped. The Government slapped a 50% sales tax on all cars over $50,000.
AS a result, we sold only one new 911 in 1990 and dealers were going broke.
In fact, it was this year that Porsche AG came to the rescue and bailed out the Australian importer and took over the
business and distribution for Australia.
A total of only 106 new Porsche were sold in Australia, in that year of 1990.
Now its over 4500 cars each year!
Some of us did survive, even with interest rates on borrowing at 20%. A far cry from today’s rates and too many
Porsche models with dwindling sales worldwide. Porsche realised that that they had to rationalise their range and cut
all the front engine cars from the range to concentrate on their traditional engine placement, rear engine boxer sixes.
Also to rationalise and have multi model interchangeable parts where possible to reduce costs.
So in 1996 Porsche needed cars that would sell and two completely new cars were designed, sharing components.
The Boxster was launched in Scottsdale, Arizona first and the 911 996 followed shortly after. Both cars were 100 %
new from the ground up and were to save the Company from going bankrupt.
The Boxster did save Porsche and sales returned, dealers restructured as the economy improved.
Back in Tasmania, Performance Automobiles continued Racing the brand and entered a Porsche each year in Targa
Tasmania with success, achieving a third out right in 1995 with a factory sponsored 911 Carrera S. I convinced Klaus
Bishoff, whilst he was on holidays in Tasmania one year, to bring Porsche Museum cars to Targa Tasmania, which he
did for many years after, lifting the awareness of Porsche, passion, history and excellence in Tasmania and putting us
here in Tasmania on the world map.
By this time, 2002, the Factories were pushing for dealers to expand and improve their Dealerships facilities and one
of our suppliers, not Porsche, said to me “Build us new premises or we will find someone who will”. Hence plans were
set in place to purchase property and build a new Dealership in Argyle Street, Hobart.
Now in my mid-sixties and no family to take over the business, they were more interested in wine! I had to make a
succession plan for the future.
My next challenge was to find someone who would carry on the business into the future and that person must be half
my age, have extensive automotive experience, strong financial knowledge and backing, have excellent people skills
and a passion for Porsche.
Four years later, I found that person in Penrith NSW……..Adrian Brown.
I am very happy that Adrian and Nick Clarke, his business partner, have taken up the baton from Libby and I and over
the last 14 years lifted Porsche Centre Hobart and Performance Automobiles to new heights of success in sales, service
and respect in Tasmania. Thank you so much.
A huge thank you also to all our Porsche family.
To Porsche owners, PA staff, Club members, past and present, thank you for your love and support over the last 50
years. Without you all, this story could not have been told and Porsche in Tasmania would not be where it is today.
Thank you all so much for making my working life with Porsche so enjoyable as the passion still burns inside me as I
continue that association with my friends in the Porsche Club Tasmania, in fact in other Porsche Clubs around Australia,
my 356 Register friends and Porsche Centre Hobart and Porsche Cars Australia.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021John R. D. Pooley
Chairman
Pooley Wines Tasmania.
15
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Chris Matters
It was the mid-nineties. We had flown through the night from Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Germany.
Onboard the near 400 ton, multi-million dollar, 950 km/hr freighter, was an Asian payload itching
to descend upon the European market.
The operation achieved the magic 100 tons of cargo transported over the modern “Silk Road”
route. And although the journey was shorter in time than centuries ago, it still presented
challenges worthy of the goal.
After the early morning arrival, none of my crew seemed able to sleep & enthusiastically agreed
to my suggestion of visiting the famous Frankfurt Motor Show. To those of us who appreciate all
things motorised, it was “petrol-head” heaven!
After a long day in the “candy store” & feeling somewhat jet-lagged, we were contemplating the “need-for-sleep”
when rounding a corner, we came across the trucks. Yes big trucks! Our 2nd or 3rd wind was kicking in, we were feeling
light-headed & the possibility of comedic relief was like a magnet towards the nearest salesman.
The following conversation took part without any influence from alcohol (just a wee bit tired).
Crew: “Do you have any big trucks ?”
Salesman: “Erm ??”
Crew (arms waving wide): “Biigggg Trucks ?”
Salesman: “Grosser ???”
Crew: “Yah !”
Salesman (pointing out the obvious hardware): “ja naturlich !”
Crew: “Nein, Nein … big trucks. How big is your biggest truck ??”
Salesman: “Grossen ? Ehm.. 40 or 45 tons !”
Crew: “Nein, nicht die kinder trucks ! Die Größen trucks ! The biggest ??”
Salesman: “Ya.. OK, maybe 60 tons !”
Crew: “Pah … we just delivered 100 tons of freight, err.. fracht “
Salesman: “From where .. 100 tons grosser ??”
Crew: “Nein, 100 tons fracht. 400 tons grosser ! We drove from China... do you know Silk Road ??”
Salesman: “Nein, nein.. is not possible ! Mit what truck, nothing is this big ??”
Crew: “Yes...possible ! An American truck”
Salesman (scratches head but looking confident): “Nein ! Was ist das für ein amerikanischer Truck?? ”
Crew: “Boeing … our truck is a Boeing 747-400F !”
Like the average “man in the street”, the salesman had no idea of the true scale & capability of the magnificent B-747.
This iconic aircraft became the “DC-3 Dakota” of the modern era. Thanks to people with courageous vision,
accountants & engineers working to “get the numbers right” & the many support people working daily, a milestone
segway in efficient trade emerged.
Oh, & nothing was more satisfying than bringing the “Queen of the Skies” home safely & efficiently onto Hong Kong’s
typically wet & windy Kai Tak runway ! Like six semi-trailers all at once.
Now that’s a truck !
Footnote: The current B747-8 can uplift a payload of over 135 tons
Editors Note: Our new Club Members Chris Matters and his wife Jacqui have recently settled in Hobart. Chris is still an
active Senior Captain (very senior in the Line) with Cathay Pacific, flying between Melbourne and places north, east
and west. It is encouraging to speak with someone who fondly talks about the old Hong Kong airport at Kai Tak
(Heart Attack) and the infamous runway 13/31. Well worth a chat.
16
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021EARLY MORNING RUN
REPORTS
North and North West Group
North / North West EMR, Sunday 18th October
Peter Haworth
Thankfully the weather forecast was much better this month for our re-scheduled
Scottsdale / Sidling loop, and the weather was actually in line with the forecast for a
change!! After a couple of late withdrawals, we ended up with 7 starters, and picked
up the Laveracks on the way through Newnham. Kerry led us on a great run out
through Lilydale, and on to Scottsdale, with the traffic being kind to us, allowing a
smooth run.
Our morning tea destination was the Scottsdale Art Gallery Café, where Rod and Shirley greeted us. Fantastic scones
(Rod’s specialty) and great coffee will dictate a definite future return to this café!!! There are some very talented
artists in the area, and the walls were lined with some great landscapes and local scenes.
Most of us departed for the drive back to Launceston via the Sidling, and some obliging traffic allowed us an
unhindered run up to the lookout, ably led by Philip Molinieux in the ex Denny 981 Boxster S, where we stopped for
photos and further chatting, before heading back to Launceston.
Attending:
Martin & Leanne Laverack Boxster Mathew & Tammy Bowen 928
Dianne and Peter Haworth Boxster Philip Molinieux Boxster
Jennifer and Frank Brunacci Cayman Phil Parsons and Barry Cork Cayman
Phil and Roy Frith Boxster Kerry Luck GT3RS
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 202118 FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021
North / North-West Early Morning Run – Sunday 15th November
Peter Haworth
After resulting early indications of low numbers, we ended up with a great turnout for our November run to Deloraine
to the Cruzin’ in the 50’s Diner for coffee and treats!! Great to see Bruce Allison out and about again after his accident
some months ago with a broken heel. Also Dianne and Erica helped swell the numbers for the Southern EMR on the
same day.
Northerners met the NW contingent at the corner of Selbourne Road at Hagley, and we wound our way through some
very picturesque countryside along Selbourne Road through to Birralee Road and on to Westbury, out along Black Hills
Road to Whitemore, and on to Deloraine via Cluan and Osmaston Roads etc.
These are all roads we’ve driven before, but there are a number of routes and combinations we can put together,
including reversing usual travel direction, which makes these seem fresh roads each time. Certainly the view from
Black Hills Road down over the farm land was great.
We stayed for a good chat at the Diner, and a number of pancakes were consumed, as that seemed to be the snack /
brunch of choice!!
Thanks to all who attended
Simon Froude GT3 Haworth & Kerry Luck Boxster
Bruce Allison 911 Grahame and Anne Vaughan Macan
Martin & Lee-Anne Laverack Boxster Phil Parsons and Barry Cork Cayman
Phil and Roy Frith Boxster Philip Molinieux Boxster
Phil McCafferty 930 Graeme & Sheryl Pitt 911SC
Matthew & Tammy Bowen 928 Rob & Devonne Jones Boxster
Stephen & Cameron Welsh Boxster Wayne Clark 928
Sorry, no photos, I didn’t get around to taking any.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Northern Midweek Dinner run, 17th December 2020
Peter Haworth
Thanks to everyone for your amazing response to this event, as we very nearly got to the maximum number of people
allowed in the space we had booked at Rosevears Hotel!!!
10 cars, 15 people met at the Petbarn Carpark, where we departed for a leisurely drive through Riverside to Legana,
up to Bridgenorth and along Long Plains Road, on to Glengarry Road and through to Exeter, down to Deviot Motor
Road, through Deviot & Gravelly Beach, finishing at Rosevears Hotel, a nice hour’s run.
At Rosevears we met up with a few others, to finish with 23 people all up, a great response. We all had a great meal,
and I was very pleased to finally present Phil Parsons with the Northern Club Person of the year award, accepted by
me at the Christmas Function at Frogmore on Phil’s behalf.
Phil’s award was for his ongoing efforts in co-ordinating our North West members to attend our North / North West
events, and organising the runs we have in the NW area. Congratulations and thanks Phil!!
Phil Parsons receiving his
Clubman Award (Northern)
from Peter Haworth
Attendees:
Simon & Jess Froude Bruce Allison Dianne & Peter Haworth
Kerry & Bec Luck Jennifer Brunacci Graeme & Sheryl Pitt
Ian Lee Philip & Janice Molineux Erica Cabalzar
Martin & Leanne Laverack Phil Parsons Honni Pitt, Brett, Connor &
Bree O’Shea
Thanks to all who attended, apologies if I have missed anyone out. I’ll let you know if we are able to pull anything
together for a NW midweek meal run in January, otherwise the next event will be an Early Morning Run on Sunday
21st February
20
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Southern Group
Sunday, 15th November, 2020
Grasstree Hill to Richmond via Tea Tree, Campania and Penna
Words by David Catchpole
Pictures by Di Catchpole and Dimity White
Although an EMR starting at 11.00am can only be loosely
considered as an “Early Morning Run” the keen participants
gathered at the Derwent Entertainment Centre Carpark from 10.30
for the obligatory pre-start chat.
The nearby Covid 19 testing station was a stark reminder that we
continue to have the privilege of gathering socially for these events
thanks to the responsible attitude of the majority of our community
and the strong border control measures enforced by our
governments.
12 Porsches (comprising various 911s, Caymans, Boxsters and SUVs)
headed out towards Grasstree Hill Road shepherded by the ever-
watchful Bob and Dimity White to ensure nobody was left behind
or lost. The Boxster contingent braved the threatening showers for a roof off run enjoying the full effects of that flat
six soundtrack.
Grasstree Hill Road (a Targa Tasmania Stage) was devoid of the usual
cyclists by this time of day so gave us a clean run out of the suburbs
towards our well-
maintained country road
loop in the Coal River Valley
district. Here we were
finally able to give our
Porsches a chance to
stretch their legs a little. I
am always amazed as we
flow through these country
roads how the speed
unconsciously builds to a point that tests the designated legal limits.
Our convoy continued on the loop through Back Tea Tree Road, Colebrook Road, Fingerpost Road, and Tasman
Highway taking us through many lush vineyards reminding us of Tasmania’s premium white wine reputation. There
were also orchards full of ripening apricots and cherries destined
for the Christmas tables in mainland Australia and overseas.
I was delighted to see a few young car enthusiasts with their
iPhones recording our passing parade. Hopefully, they may
become the Porsche owners one day and enjoy the privilege of
owning and driving that we share.
Our loop returned us to Pooley Wines Cellar Door at Richmond just
in time to beat the heavy shower of rain that had been threatening
all morning. The gathered convoy made a fine sight carefully
parked in front of Pooley Wines famous Butchers Hill Vineyard. We
headed under cover for a much-anticipated lunch of pizza and fine
wine. Again the social atmosphere was buzzing with conversation.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021As we have come to greatly appreciate from Event Director, Bob White, this was an excellent short drive avoiding
most of the Sunday morning traffic and providing quality country roads for the exercise of our Porsches.
Some drive participants could not stay for lunch, however we were joined at Pooley Wines by an additional number
bringing the total compliment to 40.
Guests Vehicle
Bob and Dimity White 930
Colin and Annette Denny 911- Carrera S
John and & Libby Pooley At Home
Leon and Gail Joubert Boxster S
David and Di Catchpole Boxster S
Kevin and Mary Lyons GT3
Ivan and Jennie Poole Mercedes 350 ???
Keith and Judy Stove Boxster S
Bruce and Monika Finlay Cayman S
Marcus and Alison Skinner Cayman S
Todd Kovacic, Allison Divine and Anja 944
Milton Moody and Ann Lowe 911 – Carrera S
Joe Hand and Jane Bao 968 CS
Keith Ridgers Carrera S
John and Sue Davis 911 Turbo
Zac Davis 911 Targa
Erica Cabalzar 911 Turbo
Dianne Haworth Boxster
Chris and Jacqui Matters Cayenne Turbo
Chris and Julie McGregor GT3
Suzanne and Ralph Norton Macan S
Michael Powe 911 – Carrera S
A special thanks to Dimity White and Di Catchpole for their great images.
22
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021Submitted by Leon Joubert, originally from Porsche Motor Sport
Whether you have ever held an FIA Competition license, or maybe never even heard of Spa-Francorchamps (never
mind Eau Rouge), this article from Porsche motor sport gives a fascinating insight into the DNA of Porsche,
You may never drive your 911, Boxster or Macan like this, but there can be no doubt of your car’s pedigree.
As part of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Porsche works driver Laurens Vanthoor and Sebastian Golz, Project Manager,
describe what it is like to drive at full throttle through the famous Eau Rouge in the Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Exiting the La Source hairpin, Porsche factory driver Laurens Vanthoor plants his foot on the accelerator. The 500+hp 911 GT3 R
catapults out of the first corner of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, accelerating rapidly down the 15 per cent decline. After a
very fast right-hand kink, the Belgian hugs the white wall, which separates the old pit lane from the circuit and now echoes the
sound of the high-revving flat-six. There it looms in the distance: the famous Eau Rouge of Spa-Francorchamps. Flat out or not?
“That’s always a tricky question until you dare to do it for the first time,” says Vanthoor with a laugh. Here on his home turf,
known in the racing world as the “Ardennes rollercoaster”, he has celebrated a good number of successes.
During the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on 24/25 October, drivers will face the Eau Rouge challenge every single lap. This
corner combination, which is officially known as “Raidillon”, owes its now famous name to a nearby small creek. The high iron-
bearing water is tinged red – hence “Eau Rouge“.
In the hunt for top qualifying times on fresh tyres and a dry track with just a dash of fuel in the tank, many drivers take the
legendary passage flat out. However, the situation in the race is different. The rubber must be handled carefully in order to
survive many laps. Over24 hours, the car will cover a distance of more than 2,500 kilometres. Tipping the scales at more than
1,200 kilograms plus driver and fuel, the total weight of the car is significantly more than in qualifying. Hence, the forces are
higher.
“I don’t know of a comparable passage anywhere. Eau Rouge is unique in the world,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager
Porsche, 911 GT3 R.
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FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021On the legendary circuit nestled in the countryside of Belgium’s Ardennes region, a huge compression is combined with cornering
at high speed. “On the Nürburgring Nordschleife the cars also bottom out at the lowest point of the Fuchsröhre passage. But we
don’t have the lateral forces there,” says Golz. After the downhill section with its 15 per cent gradient comes a left-hander at the
lowest point followed by a sweeping, fast right-hand corner leading to a steep climb and the final left-hand kink through a
gradient of18 per cent. Visibility is very limited. For a short period of time, drivers see only sky and some treetops. “When you
negotiate this passage for the first time, it’s a truly nail-biting experience, but you get used to it,” says Vanthoor.
The 911 GT3 R in front of Eau Rouge
“At around 240 km/h, not only the drivers, but many components come under extreme stresses,” explains Golz. “Through the dip
at Eau Rouge, the tyres get extremely compressed, and at the same time lateral forces of up to 3.0g deform the tyre sidewalls.
With the GT3 R, this means that around five tonnes is pushed to the outside of the corner. In the compression, the vehicle briefly
bottoms out at up to2.5g. The tyres alone can’t absorb these forces. The rims distort and even the chassis seems to groan under
such loads. Thankfully, our Porsche 911 GT3 R has a stiffer design compared to some other GT3 vehicles. We’ve seen the chassis of
cars breaking when they hit the dip down at Eau Rouge.” As part of the successful Porsche 911 GT3 R’s overall concept, forces are
distributed evenly over the chassis without overloading certain areas. All components play a part in reducing the amount of
energy that impacts the vehicle. When driving through Eau Rouge, the setup of the kinematics plays an extremely important role.
The 911 GT3 R after Eau Rouge
“For rapid changes of direction, the car should have quite a hard setup but this would never work through Eau Rouge,” explains
the Porsche project manager. “Through the massive compression, high forces cause massive load changes. A hard setup might
result in having one wheel in the air without surface contact. This should never happen there. You need all wheels on the ground
for maximum grip.” Hence, a compromise is needed. If the car’s suspension is too soft, it will bottom out badly in Eau Rouge. “It’s
24
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021not the shocks reaching their limit – we can do something about that. It would be much more serious if the entire chassis
bottomed out. This would minimise the wheel load and reduce the grip significantly. We’ve got to find a good compromise to
ensure maximum contact of all wheels on the ground at all times” states Golz. When working on finding the best setup, the unique
features of Eau Rouge play an important part. However, it is also essential to take the rest of the 7.004-kilometre circuit into
account.
For fast corners like Pouhon or Blanchimont, a low ride height is essential for high and constant downforce. Passages with rapid
directional changes like Les Combes or the Bus Stop chicane require a hard suspension in order to achieve decent lap times. All this
contradicts the set-up requirements for the perfect drive through Eau Rouge. “You’re always looking for the best possible
compromise,” says the experienced Porsche engineer. “I can live with the car bottoming out slightly in Eau Rouge because I want
the car low through other passages. One shouldn’t forget, the lap time doesn’t just depend on Eau Rouge – it is achieved over the
entire seven kilometres. If
I get it sorted out right for the Eau Rouge dip, I’ll lose too much time in other places like Blanchimont,” remarks Golz. With a laugh,
he adds: “It’s always a huge challenge. It’s a brave driver who keeps the throttle pedal down through here. Unlike in single-seater
racing, this hasn’t changed at all over the years in GT3 sport.“
Eau Rouge by night
Mastering this key passage takes skill, enormous self confidence, a wealth of experience and a huge amount of courage. “It may
sound strange but Eau Rouge is easier to take at full throttle than lifting for half a second,” says Vanthoor. “At this spot, the driver
has to be absolutely sure about what his car is doing. If I lift the throttle approaching the lowest point, the load shifts to the
front – and the car pitches. This affects the steering behaviour and I might hit the kerb too hard. If this happens, things get
seriously tricky. As a driver, you’ve got to learn Eau Rouge by driving it. Everyone knows that aerodynamics offer more downforce
at a higher speed. Obviously you shouldn’t try to overdo it, but with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, you can keep the pedal to the metal
– most of the time. It doesn’t always work – sometimes your gut tells you that it would be a good idea to lift for a split second.”
“On one hand, we technicians like to see the drivers going full throttle through Eau Rouge. After all, we’re passionate about motor
racing,” says Golz, giving his perspective. “Yet on the other hand, it’s obvious that neither the tyres nor the vehicle would
withstand these stresses over long periods of time. So we’re quite happy that the enormous physical and mental stresses through
this passage keep the drivers from trying to tackle it at full tilt most of the time. This saves the material a little,” concludes the
911 GT3 R project manager, thereby taking a load off the shoulders of his very ambitious drivers. There have been many accidents
in this challenging passage. Eau Rouge only works well if all factors come together. Tyre pressure and temperature must be
perfect, the track surface dry and clean, and the approach to the dip flawless.
25
FLAT CHAT JANUARY, 2021“Actually, your first tweak of the steering wheel as you head towards the dip is the decisive moment,” says Vanthoor. “If this isn’t
perfect you have to correct it, and that’s anything but easy at 240 km/h with those mighty forces working on the car. Eau Rouge is
mercilessly unforgiving. The run-off zones are small; many drivers hit the crash barriers. Still, there’s hardly a better feeling for us
drivers than hurtling through this passage at full throttle. You look forward to it every lap – at least as long as everything works
out okay,” the Belgian smiles. The famous corner combination at Spa-Francorchamps is like a trophy to be won at the highest
possible speed. After two attempts to master the famous passage at full throttle ended in the barriers, an ex-Formula 1 world
champion had the words “I survived Eau Rouge” printed on his autograph cards.
Tyres Anyone?
Farrel White has a contact in Victoria who is in need of a set of used but roadworthy rear tyres for his Carrera S.
Apparently the owner of the Carrera ordered the tyres through an independent tyre company and was supplied 20”
and not the 18” as ordered.
Size: 285/30ZR18
On behalf of the cashed-up buyer, please contact Farrel for further details.
Farrel White
Mobile: 0417 589 504
Email: FWhite@pahobart.com.au
26
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